Pete Barbeck & 7th Son
Rio Bravo
(Arms of Venus Records)
This, the second release by this dynamic
trio, is full of the "Butt Rockin" 7th Son tunes that all you "Son"
fans have learned to love for years. No covers-No imitations! All original & pure 7th
Son. All of you that have not had the privilege of hearing these three cats live can get a
very good dose from this CD. Front man Pete Barbeck on guitar & vocals blasts through
all the cuts with the same sweet stinging style that is unmistakably all his own. Wayne
"Skinny Nelson" Marchand lays down incredible bass lines that fill every song
with an extremely tasteful groove. One word describes Rob "Mahoney" Menary on
the drums: "Clock." His every splash & crash is dead on, making one forget
that this is only a three-piece group. We open with "Sweet Little Thing," a toe
tappin' rockin' shuffle, giving you a definite dose of Texas rockin' blues. On to "I
Don't Know Why" (I Got The Blues), one of the most signature "Son" tunes on
the disc, shows a dash of the Albert Collins influence on Pete. "Yesterday's
Blues" funks things up a little bit with an excellent contribution on sax by Lee
Schloss guesting with Pete on the leads. Then we have "These Last Few Days," a
superb slow blues cut, with a touch of the classic Allman Brothers feel, that hits
straight to the heart. "Wasted Life," written & sung by Mr. Marchand, is a
great blues/rock mixture and brings in Lee Schloss on the sax once more. Let's do
"The Stomp." This instrumental displays a "getting gritty" edge and
guests Vinny VanBuren on harp, adding a great touch. "This Rock Is Dead" is an
extremely melodic tune displaying the masterful rhythm section, and finally, the title
track, "Rio Bravo." Here's an instrumental that lets it all loose! A blistering
display of Pete's awesome guitar prowess mixed with a great rhythm backing from Wayne
& Rob that'll melt into your mind and may leave you in front of your stereo, lighter
aflame in hand, yelling MORE! MORE! All eight tunes are tastefully
written-sung-played-recorded-produced works. I looked for the exact adjectives &
descriptives for this CD and have come to the conclusion that the best one is Butt
Rockin'. It's original and straight at you! This is a must for any blues/rock collection.
My copy will stay in that frequently played pile beside the stereo. I am sure yours will
too!
- Bill "BoneDaddy" Barnett -
Southwest Blues CD Review - June 1999
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